Justice Anthony Kennedy, appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States by President Ronald Reagan, the longest current serving justice at over 30 years, announced his retirement on Wednesday through a letter delivered to the White House.

Almost immediately after, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear in remarks on the Senate floor that he expects to begin considering a replacement as soon as possible.

President Donald Trump issued a statement on Twitter about the retirement, saying he intended to quickly choose a nominee from a list of 25 potential candidates published by the White House in November 2017.